Love Me Tender
by KB-RC23
Summary: Valentine's Day. Rated K. *Updated 2/9/2013* One-shot.


**Hello dearies!**

**All right, so I couldn't help myself and so I wrote a Valentine's Day fic. Was originally going to post this on Valentine's Day, but again, couldn't help myself! haha. I hope you all like it! Reviews are love! **

**And as a side note, this story is pretty cliché and kind of predictable. It just turned out that way :) It is also quite a long story, but the characters took over and it was out of my control. Hopefully, you all like it! Okay, on with the show! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: _Castle_ is not mine :/**

* * *

**[Love Me Tender]**

This was excruciating.

There were so many possibilities and yet he was unable to think of a single one. Just one idea. One. It shouldn't be this hard, right?

He huffed a breath, running a timid hand through his hair as he paced back and forth in front of his office desk. He'd been attempting to come up with some master plan for hours now, but he was failing miserably.

Think. _Think_. What would she want? What _does_ she want? She never told him and he never bothered asking, so he's got a whole lot of nothing. This was harder than he'd originally thought.

Leaning against his desk, he crossed his arms and then began to stare off into space, his mind going a thousand miles an hour, trying to think of something. _Anything._

Normally for occasions and holidays like this one he had plans that had been made months in advanced, always one step ahead, trying to make sure it was all perfect and planned out. Halloween was one holiday that he was always prepared for six months beforehand, the details for his costume and accessories well thought out to the very last detail.

Yet, for the life of him he could not figure out what to do for Valentine's Day. Here he was, the day before, trying to come up with ideas as to what to get Kate, what to do for her that would make her smile. The kind of smile that lights up the entire room, the kind of smile that makes his heart beat faster.

Think. _Think._

"Richard?"

The sudden sound of a voice made him jump out of his skin. He nearly toppled over the lamp on his desk with a fling of his arm, catching it swiftly yet rather clumsily before it had the chance to fall to the floor.

Looking up, he saw the source of the voice. Martha.

"Oh, it's you," he sighed heavily, fixing the lamp before settling back down on the edge of his desk.

The older woman crossed over to her son's desk, placing her clutch down before wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Are you alright, darling? I nearly gave you a heart attack by just waltzing in the room."

Rick waved a hand in her direction. "I'm fine." He lowered his head into his hands and let out a huge puff of air, his chest expanding.

Martha waited a moment before speaking. "This wouldn't happen to be about tomorrow, would it?" No response and that was answer enough for her. "There's nothing to be stressed about, sweetheart. It's just Valentine's Day."

_"Just_ Valentine's Day?" He echoed back, turning his face toward hers. "Mother, it's my first Valentine's Day with Kate. I want it to be- _perfect._"

Rubbing circles up and down his back, she tried to calm him down, ease his nerves a little. "Trust me," she began, "we women are simple creatures, and it's you men who make everything so damn complicated. You all assume we want fancy dinners and extravagant gifts when in reality, we want simplicity."

He groaned, burying his face in his hands, his palms pressing into his eyes.

"Although, extravagant gifts aren't too bad every once in a while," she added, trying to lighten the mood, but to no avail it didn't work. Her tone grew serious. "Listen, kiddo, do something simple yet meaningful. I'm sure Kate will love whatever you end up getting her." Rick slowly nodded. "And don't run yourself into the ground worrying about all this, okay? No need to get stressed out. It's a holiday."

He took a deep breath. "Okay, Mother."

Giving him a quick squeeze of his shoulders, she grabbed her purse and started on her way out, but stopped suddenly. "And, darling? You'll have the place to yourself tomorrow evening. Alexis is obviously away at school and then I'm going out with a few colleagues to dinner, we'll be out most of the night."

Rick lifted his gaze to Martha. "Sounds good. You have fun," he smiled brightly, his mood slowly improving. "Just not too much fun. I don't want to have to come pick you up at the police station again like last year. Do you know how embarrassing that was? Everyone I know there wouldn't shut up about it for _weeks!_"

She merely shot him a smirk before leaving his office, shutting the door behind on her way out. Shaking his head, Rick's thoughts traveled all over the place, ideas bouncing around in his head. She was right, Kate wouldn't want flashy and gaudy.

Walking around his desk, he plopped down in his chair and leaned back, his hands coming to rest on the back of his head. He had the loft to himself tomorrow night, so what could he do with that?

After a few minutes of brainstorming, an idea finally found its way into his head.

It was quite cliché and not very original, but it would have a pinch of that Castle-esque to it that made it different. And he could only hope it'd be perfect for Kate. This was going to work. It _had_ to.

Now, all he had to do was put this plan into action. Slipping out his phone, he pulled up his messages and then proceeded to type a text. A text intended for one person and one person only.

_Come to the loft tomorrow at 6._

It was low key, no hints as to what he was planning or what was going to happen. Of course she would suspect something is up, that's part of her nature and part of who she is. She'll get all worried, asking an endless amount of questions that he really wouldn't want to answer. Kate wasn't the biggest fan of surprises, always complaining that she hated them and that she needed to what is going on, not wanting to be kept in the dark.

But her reply back surprised him. She didn't ask any questions as to why she was to arrive at that specific time or what was going on. Her response was simple and it made Rick grin like no other.

_I'll be there! Miss you. Precinct's been so quiet. No body drops just a bunch of paperwork._

He reread her reply a few times just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. No questions. No complaints. She was going to come over tomorrow evening and everything would be absolutely perfect! He couldn't wait.

Typing a quick reply, Rick couldn't help but think that he has been missing her something fierce all day today. He'd told her earlier that he couldn't come in because of some last minute publishing details he had to work on for his next graphic novel, but the truth was that he had finished with all of that a week ago. He just needed an excuse to get out of going to the precinct.

_Miss you, too! I'd love to help but I'm tied up, lots of work to be done._

The text wasn't a complete lie; he did have a ton of things to do for tomorrow evening. It just wasn't the work that she thought he was doing, but she didn't need to know that. She'd find out tomorrow.

His iPhone beeped, signaling another text message.

_I'm sure you would :) good luck with everything! See you tomorrow!_

Rick grinned at the message; he could see her rolling her eyes at the thought of him wanting to help with paperwork, something he never ever did unless he was forced to.

_Until tomorrow! :)_

Once the text was sent he quickly swiped his finger on the screen, pulling up a map app before he typed in his location. He began searching for the nearest flower shop, finding one only a few blocks away from the loft, he clicked on the telephone number and raised the phone to his ear.

It rang a few times before an elderly woman's voice sounded in his ear. "212 Floral. My name is Denise, how may I help you?"

Turning on the charm, Rick spoke into the phone. "Hi, Denise. My name is Rick Castle and I'd like to place an order..."

* * *

_Valentine's Day_

Three minutes. Just three little minutes and she would be free. She could do this.

Sitting at her desk, eyes glued to her computer monitor as she waited. A large clock that was on display on the screen, its ticking sound driving her to insanity as she tried to be patient, but it was slowly killing her. Once it reached five o'clock she could leave.

It shouldn't be this hard to wait one hundred and eighty seconds. Should it?

A long sigh escaped her rosy lips as she glanced around the bullpen, smiling when her eyes reached Ryan and Esposito. They were playing a game of paper football on Ryan's desk, the small triangle shaped paper flying across the expanse of the wooden surface. They really should be doing work right now, but then again she should be too.

Kate couldn't help but smirk when Esposito flicked the paper football toward his partner's hands the football nailing Ryan in the nose and bouncing off of it. Esposito laughed at him, causing the two to gain unwanted attention from most of the people in the bullpen. They were such boys sometimes.

Focusing her attention back to the clock, she groaned.

One minute to go.

Of course time seemed to slow down when she needed it to speed up, the hands on the clock ticking slower and slower.

Anticipation was building up inside her she couldn't handle it anymore. Biting her lip, her bottom teeth tugging on it, Kate's thoughts traveled to the ruggedly handsome writer. She couldn't help but wonder what he had planned for her. As soon as she got his text yesterday afternoon she knew he was up to something, and she, not wanting to spoil his fun, decided to go along with it.

And if she was being honest with herself, Kate was actually very excited to see what he had in store. She wasn't the biggest fan of surprises but this was one surprise she couldn't wait to see.

The smile that had taken homage on her lips soon vanished; a troubling thought entering her mind.

Uh-oh. Not good.

Kate mentally cursed herself for not thinking about it before. How could she forget to get Rick something for Valentine's Day?

As soon as she got out of here she was going to figure out what to get him. Turning her focus back to the computer screen, she saw the time. It was two minutes past five. She just wasted two whole minutes sitting here when she could have been gone already!

Quickly shutting her computer down and grabbing all of her belongings, Kate rushed out the bullpen, bidding a brief good-bye to Ryan and Esposito who watched as she practically ran to the elevator, almost running into a few beat cops as they stepped out of the lift. The two men shook their heads, laughter bubbling out of them.

"It's been months now and it's still great to see her and Castle together, bro," Esposito eventually stated, rolling his chair back to his own desk and preparing to pack up his things. Their game of paper football put on hold for the night, they'd continue it tomorrow.

Ryan nodded, gathering all of his stuff together and powering down his computer. "Oh, I know," he agreed. "She was in quite the hurry to get out of here though, so I'm sure Castle has got something grand planned for her. Wouldn't be surprised if he managed to get her a pony."

His partner just nodded in agreement, zipping up his messenger style bag and slipping it over his head, his hands wrapped tightly on the strap over his chest. "Speaking of grand gifts...what did you end up getting Jenny?"

Ryan closed his bag and followed in stride with Esposito, the two walking toward the elevator. A huge smile graced his lips as he pressed the call button. "Oh, I didn't buy her anything."

Wait- what?

Esposito stopped suddenly, his hand shooting out to his friend's chest in shock and stopping him from moving forward. "You- you didn't get Jenny anything? At all?"

The elevator dinged and Ryan stepped on, that smile remaining on his lips. Esposito quickly hopped on, pressing the button for the main level as he waited for Ryan to answer his question.

"Didn't buy her a thing," he replied calmly. Esposito motioned to say something but Ryan beat him to it. He went onto explain, "I didn't _buy_ her anything because I am _making_ her a special dinner instead. Jenny has never really been one for flowers or jewelry, she likes for things to be simple and meaningful."

The features on Esposito's face changed as his partner spoke, it all made sense now. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of his best friend and his wife, how happy they were together. But then the thought that he was alone on Valentine's Day changed that smile into a frown.

He was alone. He was alone on Valentine's Day.

Ryan immediately sensed the mood had changed and he glanced at Esposito, recognizing that look of disappointment and a hint of jealousy. "You know, you're welcome to come over and have dinner with us," he offered. "I'm sure Jenny won't mind. I definitely wouldn't mind."

"Nah, I'll be all right. Thanks though, really," he smiled softly eyes cast toward the ground.

"You sure? I'm making my famous three-cheese lasagna."

Esposito chuckled, "As tempting as that sounds, I'll have to pass. I'm sure Jenny would like you all to herself, don't want to get in the way of that."

A defeated sigh came from Ryan's direction. "Just know that our door is always open."

That made him smile. "Thanks, man. But I was, actually thinking of swinging by the morgue on my way home..." When he spoke that last part, Esposito didn't make eye contact with his partner; instead he stared at the silver doors in front of them, finding more interest in that than Ryan's reaction.

The morgue? Why would he-?

Oh. _Lanie._

Ryan's face lit up and he couldn't contain his excitement. Every since Lanie and Esposito had broken up, he desperately wanted them to get back together. They were such a great couple and they were really good for one another, it was rare to find that special someone that you could connect with, and those two had it.

He was just shocked that Esposito was even going to see her, on Valentine's Day of all days. He could only hope that they would sort it all out and give their relationship another go.

Not saying a word, Ryan kept on smiling to himself. He definitely had to tell Jenny about this when he got home!

The elevator reached the main floor of the Precinct, the two men exiting and heading toward the doors. Once outside, they bid each other good-bye before going their separate ways, each heading toward a lucky lady.

* * *

_He could do this._

Taking a deep breath, the male detective raised his hand on the double doors.

A sudden knock on the doors of the morgue tore Lanie's attention away from the file she was going over. Looking up, she saw the last person she'd expect. She wasn't complaining though.

Esposito peeked his head in awkwardly through the side of the doors, the rest of his body concealed. "Hi," he managed to get out, his voice a bit higher than usual.

God, he was nervous. Normally when it came to women he was calm and collected, but the woman in front of him had this affect on him, making him feel like an inexperienced teenager with his first school crush.

Lanie set the file down, standing and crossing her arms across her chest. "Hey, Javi." Her voice had no hint of menace or annoyance, but more of surprise and joy. "What are you doing here?"

Slowly stepping inside and swaying on his feet, he gave her a timid smile. "H-hi." He stammered nervousness swooping through his stomach.

Yeah, that was smooth.

But his nerves only made Lanie chuckle lightly as she shook her head, smirking at him. "Hi," she returned. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but shouldn't you be out on some hot date? It is Valentine's Day, no bars or clubs to visit?"

"Same thing could be said for you," he pointed out, taking a step closer with each word, his hands behind his back. "Yet here you are working."

Lanie was caught off guard by the close proximity, but she didn't move her feet feeling like they were cemented to the ground. Her eyes locked on his and she couldn't find it in herself to look away, some unknown force drew her to him.

Esposito went on talking; he was so close that Lanie could feel the heat of his body pulsing over hers. "I know I am probably the last person you'd want to see, especially today. And I wouldn't blame you if you kicked my ass out of here," he nodded back toward the doors. "But I wanted to give you these first."

He brought his hands from behind his back to reveal what he had been concealing. Lanie let out a gasp, her mouth forming in the shape of a small circle. "Oh." She gazed down at the beautiful bouquet of a dozen white orchids in his hand before looking back up at him. "How did-"

Shrugging his shoulders, his lips curved upward in a smile. He knew he did something right. "I know that they're your favorite type of flowers, so...here." Esposito handed her the bouquet over to her, their fingers grazing, a spark igniting at the brief touch.

He did it. Smiling at conquering his nerves, his focus never strayed from hers. God, how he had missed gazing those sparkling eyes.

"Thank you," she managed to peep out, her voice quavering with an overwhelming sense of emotion.

Esposito smiled back, putting his hands awkwardly in his pant pockets. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Unable to help herself any longer, Lanie leaned up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. As soon as she pulled back, she bit her lip, a blush coloring her cheeks. Esposito was frozen in place, not expecting to get that kind of reaction from her. He was not unhappy about it though, in fact he was quite happy with her response.

"I'm, uh, not trying to be too forward or anything," he slowly began, swaying on his feet once more. "But would you like to accompany me to dinner? That is if you don't have plans...if you do, then that's okay. I understand, I mean I would just really like to-"

She raised a finger to his lips, stopping him from rambling on. "Dinner would be great," she smiled brightly, her eyes lighting up. "Just let me go grab my things out of the back, okay?"

Nodding his head, he watched her disappear behind another set of double doors, a huge sigh of relief escaping his lips. He was going out on a date. And not just with anyone, with _Lanie!_ Doing a little victory dance, he quickly gained his composure before she came out a black pea jacket on over her pink scrubs.

Lanie noticed his dance through the small window on one of the double doors, but didn't dare say a word to him when she walked out. She didn't need to cause him the embarrassment of being caught. "Ready?"

Sticking out his offered arm, he couldn't wipe the expression of pure happiness off of his face when she slipped her arm through his. "Ready."

The two exited out of the morgue, both of them feeling like this was the beginning of the best Valentine's Day date ever.

* * *

The apartment was awash with the smell of lasagna, the dinner almost ready to be served. As soon as Ryan got home he began preparing the dinner for Jenny.

A glance at his wristwatch told him that it was almost six. She would be home any minute now. Quickly bringing the lasagna dish to the cloth covered table, Ryan then began to place the utensils in their places before pouring some red wine in each of the flutes. A single bouquet of red roses sat in the middle of the table, tying it all together.

He had to hurry.

Running to the bathroom, he checked his appearance. A smile found its way to his lips when he saw his reflection; he had on a crisp white button down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a black vest lying on top. Straightening his pitch black tie, he ran a hand through his slick hair before heading back to the kitchen to wait.

As he waited his nerves suddenly kicked in, an unsettling feeling bubbling up within him. He wanted everything to be perfect, but just in case he doubled-checked to make sure that everything was in its proper place.

There were only a handful of candles out unlike the previous year where the entire apartment had been covered in the flickering light. The candles were under his watchful eye, not wanting a repeat of what had happened last year with the curtains.

He physically shivered at the thought of it. No fires this year, he'd make sure of it.

Ryan had been so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't hear the front door open, practically jumping when he felt a hand on his shoulder. But when he saw who it was the fear on his face was replaced with a smile.

Concern was written all over Jenny's features, it could be heard in her voice, too. "Kevin, sweetheart, you okay?"

"I am now," he replied, enveloping her in a hug before his lips met hers in a tender kiss. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentine's Day," she echoed, bringing her hands out from behind her back to produced a wrapped box and placing it in his hands. "This is for you."

Ryan pecked her cheek. "You didn't have to get me anything."

She shrugged her shoulders, "I know. But I wanted to...you'll love it, I promise Now open it before I rip it open for you!"

He nodded, helping her into her seat before going to his own. Setting the box on the table, he tore his gaze up to meet hers, a reassuring look taking homage on her face. He grinned like a little kid at Christmas and tore into the wrapping paper, tossing it on the ground before he opened the box.

"Oh _wow._"

Jenny bit her bottom lip, anxious to hear what else he had to say. "I thought that the color would really bring out the blue in your eyes."

Holding up the gift, Ryan smiled as he admired it. "I love it. It's perfect. Thank you." He stood up and crossed over to her to kiss her in thanks.

She had gotten him a navy blue tie with lighter blue stripes going diagonally across, the different shades complimenting one another nicely.

"Would you-?"

"Of course."

Ryan bent down to his knees, lifting the collar of his shirt up and removing the black tie he was wearing. Jenny took the navy tie from his hands and wrapped it around his neck before tying it for him. His eye's never left her face; he was completely wrapped up in the beauty of her as she focused on her task at hand.

"God, you're beautiful," he whispered, not even registering that the words had left his mouth.

Jenny finished tying his tie, tugging on it to bring him closer, more specifically, to bring his face closer. "You're not so bad yourself," she smirked. "Especially in this tie. I was right, it does bring out the blue in your eyes."

Ryan didn't say a word; he merely pressed his lips to hers in a searing kiss, trying to convey his feelings through the act. His lips swept over hers with all of the love and compassion that was flowing through his veins. Jenny returned the kiss with the same amount of heat, if not even more so.

"_I love you_," she whispered against his mouth, her breath mixing with his.

A smile broke out and he kissed her again, mumbling back, "I love you, too."

The couple remained like that for a while longer as hands roamed and lips danced.

Ryan couldn't help but think that yes, this was the perfect Valentine's Day _ever._ And he still had to share with her the news of Lanie and Esposito!

But as their kiss grew hotter, he decided that it could wait for the time being. He wasn't in any rush...

* * *

Gift in hand, Kate made her way down the all too familiar hallway. Her whole body was lit with both nerves and excitement at what awaited her behind the door of Rick's loft.

When she had left the Precinct, she'd sprinted to her car and drove like a mad woman all the way back to her apartment where she spent her time pacing back and forth, attempting to come up with something to get for Rick.

Then it hit her! Grabbing her things, she knew exactly what to get him! Why she hadn't thought of it before she had no idea, but at least she did before it was too late.

Arriving at his front door, she raised her hand to knock but then noticed a note taped upon it. With curiosity bursting through her, she pulled the note off and opened it to find his messy scrawl decorating the page.

But that wasn't the only thing she found; taped to the paper was a key. A key to the loft.

She stared at the golden piece of metal, her thumb tracing along the small ridges and edges. Gripping the key tightly, she went on to read his note.

_Happy Valentine's Day, Kate!_

_As you can see I've left a little gift with this note. (Of course you noticed! You're a Detective!)_

_This key is to my loft. I want you to know that my home is your home; you are always welcome here and as to not put you in an inconvenience of knocking every time you come over, I've given you a key of your own._

_But if this too far forward or it feels like I'm pressuring you, then I'd happily take it back until you are ready. I'd wait forever for you, you know? You're worth the wait._

Kate smiled at his thoughtfulness, not only for the key but accepting the fact that if she wasn't ready for this step yet, he was going to wait until she was.

_My door is, as you will find, locked. So you'll get the chance to put that key of yours to good use!_

Shaking her head, she chuckled and glanced down to her hand, staring at the key before turning her gaze back to the note.

_I'm waiting inside. Can't wait to see you._

_-Rick _

Fiddling with the key, she slowly raised it to the lock and placed it inside. She didn't go any farther than that, her hand shaking. Taking her time, not in a hurry to be rushed, Kate twisted the key. The sound of latch releasing made her heart skip a beat.

This was it.

Removing the key from the lock and pocketing it, she grasped the door handle and gave it a turn. Kate slipped inside the loft, closing the door with her foot before she was covered in darkness. The only light source coming from the many candles scattered around the space, a lone figure standing in the midst of it all.

Rick remained silent, watching her as she took everything in. He had decorated the entire loft with candles, red and white balloons, and a few dozen flowers. There were even rose petals strewn about the ground, making random patterns and shapes.

It was gorgeous.

Kate carefully set her bag and Rick's gift on the floor, her eyes ghosting over every inch of the room, not believing what she was seeing.

He had done all of this for her.

As he watched her stand in the entryway, Rick had an air of success floating about him. From the way she was entranced by the beauty of it all he knew that he had done a job well done.

With a simple flick of a button on the remote concealed in his hand, soft music began to play as he stalked toward her. Kate's heart beat faster with each step he took, the distance between them closing in.

"Hi," he greeted, his voice barely over a whisper and full of love. He had on a smile that reached all the way to his eyes, the happiness he was feeling evident in his features.

Kate didn't even say word back, unable to find it in her voice. So instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a languid kiss, the pairs of lips molding over one another in a dance only known to lovers. Rick's arms found their way around her waist, hoisting her up as he began to spin them in a circle. Kate squealed when she felt her feet lift off the ground, but she didn't dare lose contact with his mouth. Her legs wound themselves around his waist, feet digging into his backside as she held onto him even tighter, the need to feel his body pressed up to hers growing.

They eventually pulled apart, Rick setting her gently down on her feet before tugging her in for a hug. With her cheek pressed against his broad chest, she could hear his heart beating rapidly as if it were threatening to beat out of his chest at any moment. Her heartbeat was in time with his, never a beat off.

A chuckle escaped his lips when he heard her say, "Hi," back.

Kissing the crown of her head, a deep breath was let go. "That was by far the best greeting I've ever gotten."

"Couldn't agree with you more."

Her arms were encircled around his waist, and he felt her long fingers drawing patterns along his lower back.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Kate." The sound of his low voice made her look up, their eyes locking. Leaning down, he pressed a chaste kiss to her mouth, his tongue sliding over her lips briefly before he rested his forehead against hers. "God, I've missed you."

She smiled. "I've missed you, too." Then she remembered his gift. "Oh, I got you something."

"You didn't have to-"

"I did anyways. So shush and be thankful," she chided, her tone teasing.

He nodded, his excitement building.

Slinking out of his embrace, Kate took the few steps needed to get to the door. She hadn't realized just how far out Rick had spun them moments earlier, they were out near the sofa. Walking back, gift in hand, she handed him the box. "Happy Valentine's Day, Rick."

The couple moved over to the couch, Kate sitting down right next to Rick, her feet tucked underneath her bum. Resting her arm on the top of the couch, she watched with child-like wonderment as he tore open the present.

He'd continually look her way, smirking when he saw that her eyes were trained on his hands, waiting for him to reveal the gift beneath. Opening the box, his eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped.

_She didn't._

Looking back up at her quickly before gazing back down at the box, Rick's breath was caught in his throat. It was scary how alike they thought, how close their minds worked.

"Kate-"

She squeezed his forearm, giving him a reassuring nod.

Inside the box was a key, and not just any key. It was a key to her apartment.

"Great minds think alike, I guess," she stated, shrugging her shoulders. "When I saw the key to your loft taped to the note on the door, I knew that I had done right by getting you one to mine. It just seems...well, right."

Plucking the key out of the box, he raised it to the level of his eyes. He stared at it for seemed like hours but was really only a minute or two. Kate didn't say another word, merely studying him as he focused on the gold key.

Suddenly, he was up and heading toward the door. Kate, caught off guard by the sudden movement, followed him with her eyes, trying to figure out what he was doing. When she saw that he had gone to the little table near the door and took his keys out of the small bowl, she knew what he was up to.

He was putting her key on his key chain.

Plopping back down, Rick showed her his keys, the set dangling off his finger. "There. Now it's official."

That little action alone made Kate's heart swell. She lunged for him, her hands cupping either side of his face and pulling his head toward hers, their mouths attaching. Immediately overwhelmed in the kiss, Rick set his keys down as to free up his right hand, placing both hands on her sides.

Lifting her, he brought her to sit on his lap, arms tightening around bodies. Kate couldn't get enough of him, and Rick would be lying if he didn't say the same thing about her.

He groaned when she nestled her backside over his lip as if she were seeking a more comfortable position, her legs splayed over his thighs as bit on his bottom lip with her teeth, giving it a slight tug.

"_Let's move this party to the bedroom,_" she huskily whispered, latching on the skin at his neck and pressing open-mouthed kisses there.

Rick lifted a hand and pointed it toward the kitchen. "But I made dinner."

Taking his hands in hers, Kate got off his lap with grace and dragged him toward the bedroom, one thing on her mind. And it wasn't the dinner.

"Later. Right now I'm hungry for something other than food."

Her words made Rick moan and he immediately picked her up bridal style, carrying her toward his room. She was right the dinner could wait.

All he wanted was her.

_"It's magic each time we hold each other, each time we cuddle, and each time we kiss. I feel goose bumps all over again. I never want to let you go for fear of losing you, so I just hold on a little bit tighter each day, refusing to let go. You will never know the warmth I feel inside me when I'm with you. You're all I ever wanted." –Unknown_

* * *

**There you are, dearies!**

**Okay, so the whole scene with Ryan/Esposito wasn't originally planned to be in this, nor were the scenes between Lanie/Esposito and Ryan/Jenny planned, but the characters apparently have minds of their own! Hope the scenes didn't take away from the story. This story was to be focused on just Castle/Beckett but like I said, the characters have minds of their own! Anyways, lease let me know what you think by leaving a review! :) Thanks for reading! Until next time!**

**Follow me on Twitter at KB_RC23 and Follow me on Tumblr at KB-RC23**


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